Hukurou no koro ni When Owls Cry
by Novelist-In-Training
Summary: The years may change as well as the circumstance but never the date. A different witch is in league with something called Lasher. Along with different minions that posed as Harry's friends they continue the game of death. Who exactly is Lasher anyway?
1. July 31st 1997

I had always understood what loathing was, had felt it since I was a child. What I could not understand was why it was directed at me, what had I the beacon of this hatred what hadn't merit of any kind other then my aunts jealousy towards my mother's particular talents? It was in the summer of 1997. I had just turned 16 years old. I had received gifts from friends and had of course, spent t he entire afternoon out of doors collecting the bits of sunlight on my skin, resting my eyes and feeling cool grass beneath my clothes. I wasn't thinking about going home until twilight. Why did I have to return? Sometimes I really hated them.

I lay in the grass, with my glasses lying on my chest, I began to imagine how life would have been if my parents had been alive. Certainly, I thought, I would be happier then this. And I was so sure of it. Then there was this voice in the back of my head that repeated that they were alive, that I had experienced them and that I shouldn't be sad. It was like I was living in a nightmare one minute and then a dream. Sometimes I wanted to disappear.

I fell asleep on the grass and when I awoke it was dark. Stars glittered in the sky above my head and the crickets were barely discernable against the loud chirping cicada. I slid my glasses on my head the lenses were a bit smudged but I didn't bother to clean them. I ought to get home, I thought, they'll be so angry the longer that I am out.

I gather my on belonging in hand and headed towards the park gates. It was chilly for summer; I wanted to hug myself for warmth. My grip tightened on the thick metal in my hand, like ice, as I continued to walk. Today is my birthday, I wanted to say, and today I was born 16 years ago. My mother pushed me out into this world and what am I doing with it? Let me answer, nothing of particular importance and with little joy

I was on the sidewalk I could see the houses, all with the same marking all so identical. I saw all the little glass windows lighted up. I imagined the happy people the little families who live in those houses. The seemed like warm houses and so inviting while my house, that looked the same, was so cold. With the pretty flowers and the pretty fresh pain and the nicely mowed lawn and the modest car in the drive, my house seemed to cold. Alien to these other houses where love must bloom behind the doors. I saw the house; I saw the door and the glass lit up behind the windows. My aunt and uncle and my cousin must be in the front room watching TV.

I walked into the house, across the threshold; I closed the door so softly no one would have heard. From where I stood it was dark. I could see the kitchen door opened no one there. I could see the stairs, I could see the door under the stairs my old room.

I lifted the metal in my hands, grasping it tightly, the ice. I walked into the tiny hall and took and immediate left where my jealous aunt, my fat uncle and pig cousin sat. Their backs to me watching the TV _perfect_. The metal came crashing down, my uncles head imploded I saw the bones and brain matter. My aunt screamed before the metal caught her mouth her face. My cousin tried to run. I took out his eyes. I hit each and every one of them, the three little pigs all covered in blood, heads turned to mush and all incredibly dead. I lifted the metal above my head, it came crashing down. Over and over to my hearts content but I wasn't laughing. This was liberating. But it wasn't funny. These people were trying to kill me, poisoning me from my food.

It was my birthday. I got my wish. I got my present. I got my survival for my birthday. But later, before I clawed at my throat and died, I was told it was _the syndrome_ that it set in.

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**Hukurou no koro ni**

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I awoke.

The bat was in the corner of my room right by Hedwig, it was clean. My clothes were cleaned. The sun was high in the sky, brightly lit against the endless blue. My glasses were not smudged. I took the metal bat into my hands and went to the door.

I walked down the stair and my aunt was at the table eating. My uncle was reading the paper. My cousin was loudly munching toast.

It was my birthday.

My aunt slid a bowl and a glass of milk towards me. Obviously poisoned because she was never kind enough to prepare anything for me not for the past week anyway and I knew, they must be trying to kill me. I grasped the metal in my hands.

"I'm going out into the park."

"Be back before sundown."

"Alright."

Yes, they were trying to kill me, I knew it!

But it was my birthday. I wouldn't let myself be killed on my birthday.

I walked out of the back door, rounding the house, walking passed the gardens and the familiar houses. I would go into the park and wait until dark. I would save myself at twilight.

July 31st, 1997.

Tatarigoroshi-hen

_Curse killing chapter_

"But why does it feel like I've done this before?"

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**Note: Review and I'll start the story. No flames.**


	2. July 31st 1990

**July 31, 1990**

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"Auntie! Oh no Auntie wake up!"

The little boy shakes the woman leaning on her side on moist cement floor. The woman has spindly long legs, gangly arms and an under defined chest almost boyish. Her face is twisted in pain, her blond hair is matter with dirt and rain water. Where were they? Why were they running again?

Her nephew, small waif of a nine year old, shaking her crying; "Get up please!"

Why were they in on this Godforsaken property? Oh yes, she remembered now. They boys Grandfather Potter had died. It was the boy's birthday. Everyone was dead, why was every one dead?

"Ahahahaha look at this! How splendid! How terribly wonderful how hilariously fantastic!"

It was that girl; that redheaded girl with the violet eyes and violet lace clothing. That girl had been cackling when Petunia and Harry had entered the massacre of Potter corpses in the front room. Stomachs opened with precision, someone had place candles in their stomachs and lit them. She had followed when they had hid in the kitchens and of all things, eating an apple. All the apples had bled and she had laughed at their disgust.

"Tuney Tuney Moony are you tired? I didn't think you would fall from exhaustion this fast! Ahahahahaha!!!"

"What game are you playing you wretched little girl?" She couldn't get up, it was useless to try.

"Ahahahaha!" Another loud cackle. "Tuney Tuney Moony you're so funny. It's not the game I am playing." She pointed her glove incased finger to her left. A swarm of petals collected at her side. A woman with shimmering red hair, the same shade as the girl, appeared. She wore a long white dress. "She's playing! Charlotte is the one playing!"

"Ginny." The woman, Charlotte, addressed the violet girl. "What have I told you about playing with my pieces?"

Ginny pouted.

"It's not fair! I came all this way and I can't even play with Harry!'

"Go back to the house, go and talk to the others and wait your turn. Looks like I must start the game again."

She gave the impression that she was the boss, cool and commanding like a soft sure stroke. Ginny bowed, cackled again and disappeared in a burst of, unsurprising, violets. Petunia wanted to get up, she wanted to move. 

_Why can I not move?_

"Petunia Evans, my principal piece, it seems as though our time was short." Charlotte said in a wave of dismissal. "In the death of your sister I gave you the son, and in the death of Julien Potter I have given riches. If not for the meddling Envy piece, if Ginny had stayed away then perhaps we would have succeeded." She said. "No matter, you," She pointed at Petunia. "Will die here and the Rowan piece will die with you."

_Die? I am going to die? No I cannot die. I promised Lily that I would watch her son. I promised Severus that I would come back with the boy...oh heaven save me._

"There is no heaven here. I am here with you now; the boy is here with you now-who you should have been able to save. Think not that you have failed...you are dying only to live again in another life."

She didn't know how it happened. How she was lifted by invisible hands that throttled her head unceremoniously into the ground until her face caved inward. She knew that she should feel the physical pain but she did not. She felt exhaustion and she heard little Harry's screams.

_Why is he screaming? Oh right, I am being murdered in front of him._

She was dropped to the ground, dead before she knew it, before she saw Charlotte strangle the boy to death. Harry dropped beside her dead a moment later.

"Ahahahaha look at that! Her face looks like dropped cherry pie and the boy! Why, he's dead. Dead dead dead dead dead!" Ginny chortled. She danced around the corpses, arms lifted, twirling skirts.

She was stopped by Charlotte's fist connecting to her jaw. "Stop your foolishness!"

"Owie." Ginny cradled her chin.

"Do you forget why you are here in the first place? The Lasher came to you because you loved Harry, The Lasher granted your wish to become One of Sin, The Lasher allowed you to come to this reality in order to save your Harry." Her gleaming black eyes rested on the dead boy. "And look here, I have had to kill him because you cannot wait your turn. I have killed your precious Harry and now we must start all over again."

"Well when you say it that way it's like you can't bring him back. I love Harry I just wanted a little revenge, just for a second. He left me and that really grated on my nerves. I mean, in this reality there was no Riddle and still her was the same kind of boy. So brave, so trusting and kind."

"So you would rather him a pathetic spoiled wretch _like _Berkastel?"

"No!" Ginny pouted. She crossed her arms. "Let's just start over. I'll go first ok, I'll go first and I'll fix it. This reality you created was so boring. I mean, really killing his parents in a car accident? Cliché blasé boring stuff! I think Berkastel had the right idea. Wizards! I mean, Berka used me in that one and I got to meet The Lasher."

Charlotte snapped her fingers, the world went black. The corpses disappeared and there was only them.

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**July 31, 1997**

It's it begins _again_.


End file.
